Territory



(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 1,

E. STAHL.

METHOD OF PRODUCING GARMENT PATTERNS AND MODELS.

No. 410,383. Patented Sept. 3, 1889.

WITNESSES:

By W

ATTORNEY N. PEYERS. Pholvuthogmpher. Walhinglnn. D Q

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

, E. STAHL. METHOD OF PRODUCING GARMENT PATTERNS AND MODELS.

No. 410,383. Patented Sept. 3, 1889.

IIVVE/VTOR 62% ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

EDlVARD STAlIL, OF PRESCOTT, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

METHOD OF PRODUCING GARMENT PATTERNS AND MODELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,383, dated September 3, 1889.

Application filed March 22, 1889- Serial No. 304,326. (No model.)

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD STAHL, of Prescott, in the county of Yavapai and Territory of Arizona, have invented a new and Improved Method of Producing Garment Patterns and Models, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to first cover that partof the human body extending from the neck down to the hips (exclusive of the arms) with a specially-prepared pattern material in such a manner that a close-fitting basque results, and then, after removing the latter from the person and causing it by appropriate means to reassume the same shape it had upon the body, to line it with a composition (also specially prepared for the purpose) in such a way that this composition lining, after removal of the paper basque, shall form a model which will be sufficiently strong and near enough like the original to answer the purpose for which it is intended to be used-namely, to aid women in the cutting and fitting of their garments.

The process involves, as a preliminary step, the manufacture of a suitable pattern material, a pliable metallic strap, called a bustband, two leather straps, and two metallic strips, called stays.

The pattern material is made by pasting thin but strong paper upon thin muslin, then covering the paper side of this with a size consisting of an aqueous solution of common glue, dextrine, and sugar, and then letting it dry. As regards the proportions of the ingredients of the size, while one part dextrine, five parts glue, and three parts sugar in sufficient water to make it work well under the brush answers very well, yet they admit of considerable variation, the object being simply to cover the paper in a way that while it is not sticky when dry it will be strongly so when moistened.

The pliable bust-band is shown in perspective in Fig. 1. In this figure, A represents the body of the band, and consists of a straight strip of very thin sheet metal about an inch wide and long enough to somewhat more than once entirely encircle a womans bust at the armpits, and has a line of small holes punched along its longitudinal center.

One end a is provided with a small hook a, and the other end carries two loops b and 1).

One of the metallic stays is shown in Fig. 2. In this figure, B is the body of the stay, consisting of a straight strip of thin sheet metal about five-eighths of an inch wide and twelve inches long. About one-half an inch from one extremity it has soldered to it a small piece of the same material as the main strip, and which is bent in such away that it forms the loop 0 and the notch (1. Through the loop 0 a piece of twine 6 about fifteen inches long is passed, and about three inches distant from the notch (Z another piece is soldered to the main strip and forms the notch f.

One of the straps is represented in Fig. 3. This is simply a strip of leather or other suitable material about half an inch wide and long enough to encircle a womans bust three or four inches below the arm-pits. It has one end punched with holes along the longitudinal center and carries upon the other end a buckle. In said figure, O is the body of the strap. g represents the holes and h the buckle.

Being now in possession of the above-described articles the execution of the process is as follows: From the pattern material two pieces D (one shown in Fig. 4:) are cut rectangular in shape and of a size that each shall be in width a little more than half the circumference of a womans bust at the armpits, and a little longer than the vertical distance from the chin down to a line ext-ending horizontally from one hip-bone to the other. Each of these pieces now has its edges slashed or cut into in the manner indicated by the black lines extending from the edges inward, as shown as t j is Z, Fig. 4. As will appear later, no particular accuracy is required in making these cuts. Next, the person whose form is to be copied having put on such article of underwear as she is in the habit of wearing, and which must fit closely, the two pieces of pattern material are laid against her, one against the front and the other against the back in such a Way that the upper edges are on a level with the lower edge of the ears, and that the side edges meet below the arms. In this position the pieces are now secured by the bust-band A, placed over them around the bust close up under the arms, and after passing the end a through the loops 1) and Z) and drawing taut, the hook a enters one of the holes, and so closes the band.

To secure the bust-band against sliding downward and thereby loosening the pattern material, two of the stays B are now applied in the following manner, viz: The notch d is caused to grasp the lower edge of the bustband just beneath the center of the arm-pits. The strings e are then drawn around and over the shoulders and tied together, so that the bust-band is drawn close up under the arms and held there. The appearance will now be as illustrated in Fig. 5. Next, the parts of the pattern material which are above the bustband are brought against the figures, so that the material shall lie smoothly and closely against and over the shoulders and around the neck, and are then fastened in place by the adhesive surface of the underlapping portions being moistened and the overlapping portions being glued down upon them. This makes the figure look as shown in Fig. 6. Now one of thestraps O is buckled about the person at the waist-line and another is buckled about the figure a little higher up, at

the place where it will rest in notches f of the stays B. In the placing of these straps regard is had that while they are being drawn together the strips of the pattern material are caused to lie perfectly smooth, without wrinkles of any kind, upon the figure. Fig. '7 shows the appearance at this stage.

As the person is much larger at the place occupied by the bust-band than at the waistline, at this latter place and for some dis:

. tance above and below the same the strips of the pattern material all overlap each other and they are now fastened together by applying with a brush a little water between the overlapping and underlapping portions and pressing them together. At the hip-line, however, the person is larger than at the line occupied by the bust-band, l-Iere, therefore, the strips of pattern material will not entirely cover the figure, but leave wedgeshaped openings. These are now closed by strips of the same material being glued under the other strips. (See Fig. 7.)

If everything has been properly done, the pattern material will now have assumed the form of a close-fitting basque, which possesses considerable rigidity already, owing to its being in many places at least two layers in thickness, but may be rendered still further so by narrow strips of the pattern material being pasted over it in various directions.

It is now necessary to provide the means whereby the basque after its removal from.

the person may be made to reassume the same shape it had while upon the person. To

this end, over three horizontal lines upon the figure, (the waist-line, the hip-line, and the line indicated by the lower edge of the bustband,) three pairs of pieces E of pasteboard are fitted edgewise against the figure in the manner indicated in Fig. 9, the edge of the board being cut out, as at E and E, Fig. 9, so that when each pair is joined in the way shown in the drawings the inner edge of the pasteboard ring shall exactly fit the figure.

The basque now has its lower edge trimmed straight, and is then removed from the person in the manner following, viz: exactly over X thespine or vertebrae the basque is slit open, and another cut is made from the neck down halves is cutagain at the places usually occupied by the seams of a dress, a set of patterns will then be obtained which must of ne'- cessity, be absolutely true to the figure, and

render easy what every woman knows to be i such a veXatious and difficult task-the cutting and fitting of that part of her dress technically called the waist or basque.

The object of this invention is not, however,

i simply the production of correct patterns, but 5 to construct what will be practically afacsimile model of that part of the human figure 1 designated above, the usefulness of such models as an aid to women in the making of their own clothes being self-evident.

This is accomplished in the following manner, viz:

' When the paper basque has been removed from the persons form, the places where it Qhad been cut (down the back and over the shoulder) are mended by strips of the pattern material being pasted over the joints in such a manner that the edges are brought exactly back to their proper positions. Then by using the pasteboard, cut as shown in Fig. 9 as patterns, three corresponding rings F Fig. 8, are sawed from one-inch boards, making them about an inch thick all around between the inner and outer circumferences. When these rings have been made, they are placed over the paper basque, so that they occupy the lines over which the pasteboard rings had been fitted, and are there secured by the outer surface of the basque, and the inner surface of the rings being glued together. When this is done, the basque will practically have reassumed the same shape it had when upon the person, and, owing to its many curvatures, (acting as braces toward one another,) it exhibits considerable resistance to attempts at forcing it from its normal shape. The whole will now have the appearance indicated in Fig. 8. Next, the openings at the neck and at the arm-holes are closed by disks of the proper shape cut out of a board, being glued into them. 7

Now the composition from which the model is to be molded is prepared in the following manner, viz Equal weights of rosin and shel- This lac are first melted together, and then, after allowing them to get cold, they are ground to a fine powder. Then two parts of this powderare intimately mixed with four parts of fine sawdust and one part of ground plaster-of-paris. This may be called mixture No. 1. There is also provided, in much larger quantity than mixture No. 1, another mixture called N o. 2, and consisting of equal quantities of coarse sand and sawdust. These mixtures being prepared, the basque is placed, neck down, into a box G, Fig. 10, a little larger than the basque, and then commences the process of molding, which is as follows: The neck of the basque (the lower end now) is filled to the height of two or three inches with the mixtures in such a manner that No. 2 occupies all the space except half an inch next to the inner surface of the basque, which (the onehalf inch space) is packed as tight as the strength of the pattern material will allow with mixture No. l,the two being kept apart by the interposition of either thin cloth or paper. This done, the space between the illner surface of the box and the outer surface of the basque is filled to the same height as the filling inside the basque with mixture No. 2. Then another two or three inches are built up inside the basque in the same way as the first. Then the outside is filled to the same height, and so it goes on until the lower edge of the basque (in its present position the top) is reached, regard being had, of course, during the process of filling that the normal shape of the basque is strictly preserved. It is to be understood that the space between the inner surface of the box and the outer surface of the basque is filled with mixture No. 2 only; that the same mixture also constitutes what may be called the core of the inside of the basque, and that between this core and the inner surface of the basque there is a half-inch thick shell composed of mixture No. 1. Fig. 10 is intended to showa horizontal section of the box when packed in the manner stated. Then this packing has been finished, the box, with its contents, is placed in an appropriate apartment and heated to a degree that will cause the shellac and rosin composition to melt. When this (the melting) takes place, the whole mixture forming the shell next to the inner surface of the basque becomes thereby agglutinated. When this baking has been accomplished, the box is allowed to get cold, and being then turned upside down, mixture No. 2 will drop out in its original state, While mixture No. 1 will have assumed the form of the desired model, covered on the outside by the basque and on the inside with either cloth or paper.

When these coverings have been removed, the

model is found to be composed of a mass which, while porous and somewhat brittle, is yet possessed of considerable strength. To still further toughen it, and also to render its surface more suitable for receiving a finish, the model is now saturated with warm glue and dried, and this treatment is repeated until all the pores are filled with dried glue, after which it is found amply strong for its intended uses. It may, however, be still further strengthened, if desired, by giving it an inside lining of plaster-of-paris or some other material.

The outside surface of the model may now be finished off by sandpapering, painting, and varnishing.

As regards the agglutinant used in the material constituting the model, while shellac and rosin in the proportions given produce good results, it is not absolutely necessary to adhere to them; but other resins-such as asphaltum, caoutchouc, turpentine, mastic, &c.may be added or altogether substituted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process herein described of forming a basque to be used as a pattern for cutting garments, which process consists in applying stilfened pattern material, slashed at its edges, to the figure, shaping the strips to the figure, and securing the same by stiffening material, and then cutting the basque to remove it from the body, substantially as described.

2. The process herein described of forming a basque and model from the same, which process consists in applying pattern material, slashed at its edges, to the body, shaping the strips, and stiffening and securing the same, then cutting the basque from the figure, staying the same with surrounding supports shaped to fit the basque, and finally molding plastic material in the interior of the basque, substantially as described.

EDWARD STAHL.

'Witnesses:

ALEX HARRIS, H. D. AITKEN. 

